


Let It Unfold

by TheBizarreHairTrio



Category: The Lobby
Genre: Also I fixed some stuff, Alternate Universe - Naruto Fusion, Borderline crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack and Angst, Did I make Nine god adjacent yes, EVERYONE LOVES QUIN, Everyone's gonna be op because I'm indulgent and they're actually op in their source tbh, Everything is pretty lit tbh, Fuck Canon, He's usually god adjacent in general tbh, Honestly I'm gonna get some details wrong but fuck off, I have so many issues with Naruto canon and you can see that here, I reject Naruto canon and substitute it with my own, It's my Naruto AU oneshots but better, It's still actually okay, Made Pam a Hoozuki, Mostly satire don't let the prologue fool you, Multi, PLUS LIKE HELL I'M ADHERING TO CANON, Some of the shit is just so stupid, THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE CRACK BUT I FUCKED UP, Uchiha Quin's Fanclub, WHY AM I CRYING???????????????? A N G S T, why not, yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-13 17:09:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21497584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBizarreHairTrio/pseuds/TheBizarreHairTrio
Summary: "We're absolutely the dream team of Konoha, don't even joke about it. Hashirama Senju, who?" Judas says, grinning down at Dave and Nine."Wait," Dave replies after a moment of silence. "If you're Madara, I'm Hashirama, and Nine is Mito..." His face scrunches up. "Does that make Nine and I married?"Nine blinks. "I'll marry you for tax purposes. Plus, I hear the Senju have deep pockets."Judas snorts. "Not for long, with the Legendary Sucker still around."Follow the cast of The Lobby as they become ninja and make a name for themselves in the Elemental Nations. Naruto AU crossover.
Relationships: Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. 0 - a seven nation army couldn't hold me back

**Author's Note:**

> Basically the prologue. Title taken from the song Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes

To start at the beginning would be pointless, a rehash of a tale well known already. What do you wish for me to say? That the red-haired woman screamed and screamed in her labor, that her husband paced and fretted for her health? That a man broke into the birthing chamber and held the infant hostage to tear the Nine-Tailed Fox from the woman’s body? That her husband battled the masked man as the fox rampaged through the village? That her husband, the Hokage, the leader of the village, looked down at his son cradled in his arms and said no. That he bundled him up and laid him besides his dying wife and took another child, barely two years of age, and dragged the howling fox into the child’s body, his soul taken by the reaper just as his wife breathed her last. That the previous leader found them there, a dead Hokage and his wife, their newborn son, and another child. That the masked man slipped away, swearing to one day return for the beast he mistakenly believes to be locked within the dead Hokage’s son.

What do you want me to tell you? That a woman stumbled into the wreckage of the village, overlooked by all, cradling a baby girl? That she settled in the village as if she’d been born there, raising her daughter? That she had nightmares every night of the bloodline massacres, of losing her daughter and being killed herself? That she wishes her family came with her, that they could be safe as well? 

Should I speak of the way the old Hokage pleaded with his wayward student? How he begged her to come back, to visit her cousin's grandchild, to take up the leadership of the village? How he turned to his other student, who shook his head, only taking with him his own student’s infant son? How he sat with his head in his hands and wept, how he was reelected as village leader with a heavy heart? 

Shall I regale you with the tragedy of the Uchiha, how their compound was obliterated? How they lost many children to the dark miasma of beast, parents now childless cursing the heavens? How the village whispered and accused them behind cupped hands, gazed upon them with suspicious eyes? How they became alienated, outcasts, how resentment simmered in their hearts, despite their love for the village as their home? How a pair of brothers argued, one indignant to accusations and the other understanding? How their children, unknowing of the heated dispute, played together, sickly and weak but thankfully alive?

Do you wish for a tale of an orphan, handed to the only surviving clan member? How he was only fourteen, how he lost his teacher that night? How he wept and raged, how he realized how alone he was now? How he tried to reject custody of his orphaned cousin, how he threw himself into missions, how he wasted away into only a machine? How he comes home, weeks or months later, to find his cousin cared for by his self-proclaimed rival in his absence? 

Does the politics of the Hyuuga interest you? How the elders are at each other’s throat, vicious and contrary as a woman sits, holding her child and praying for a miracle? How her husband bows his head, his forehead covered, and wishes this brand will not pass to his child? How they weather the screaming and the racket, how the clan head stares and stares and stares and does nothing? How his twin, forehead covered, looks down and knows he will be in the couple’s place next year, making the same plead for his son?

What more do you need? The urgency of the Nara, for the first time in forever? How they rush around, managing their departments, how the clan head takes a drink and honors his Hokage? How a man holds his child, looking down at his wife in a hospital bed, wondering if he's run out of tears? How he goes home and lets his child cling to a deer plush, how he sleeps in a bed meant for two and wishes it was he on the bed instead?

Or is it the tale of the immigrant you seek? The father who carries his daughter into the village in search of his clan’s princess and his wayward brother? Who finds the Uzumaki princess died that night, his brother died years prior, the princess’ son whisked away by his godfather? Who finds the child of his brother crying in a cradle, a twisting seal painted upon the flesh of the stomach? How his stomach rebels, how he curses the dead Hokage in the privacy of his mind, wishing he never saddled this child with this burden? How he wishes that man had cursed his own son instead, not a child he happened upon?

What is the purpose of these stories? Why do you wish to know? The world moves on. Stories begin and end. It just so happens so many pivotal legends will begin here. Here, in Konohagakure, in the Land of Fire, is where the world holds its breath for a moment, and moves on. Here, where heroes rise and fall, where they come and go, where they create and destroy and discover themselves.

Where the harbingers of a new age blossom and bloom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess who's who lol because I vaguely mentioned a hell of a lot of canon characters and hinted at which Lobby character is where


	2. 1 - and a hundred percent reason (to remember the name)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick look into the daily lives of ninja hopefuls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title taken from the song Remember The Name by Fort Minor

Yawning to himself, Dave taps his finger on the side of his leg, the other tucked under and crossed. He leans back against the trunk of the tree and blinks sleepily.

“DAVE!” 

He pouts, leaning down to stare at the chunin instructor, glaring up at him with her hands on her hips.

“What, old hag?” he whines, head lolling to the side.

“STOP GROWING TREES IN THE ACADEMY YARD! AND DETENTION FOR YOUR LACK OF RESPECT!” she hollers, coming closer and beginning to walk up the trunk. Dave flinches at her approach, pressing a hand to the branch he sat on and encouraging it to grow with a bit of chakra, the branch extending to accommodate his progression as he ran.

He sticks his tongue out over his shoulder at the teacher. “Can't make me serve detention if you can't catch me!” He leaps, somersaulting through the air, and easily landing on the rooftop, dashing through the village and grinning as he spots the fence leading into the Forest of Death.

The teacher notes the path he was taking and growls. “DAVE, DO NOT GO INTO THE FOREST OF DEATH, OR YOU'LL SERVE DETENTION FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH!”

Dave screeches to a stop, standing on the top of the fence separating the forest from the village, gives her a smug smirk, and hurls himself onto a branch, disappearing from sight. 

She lands on the fence a moment after, staring into the dark grove of gargantuan trees, and sighed. “Lord Hokage isn't going to like this…”

* * *

Gerard sways back and forth on the tree swing, sighing softly as he scanned the crowd. “Don't tell me…”

“YOUTHFUL HATAKE!” booms a voice from behind him. Gerard shrieks, toppling off the swing and only escaped hitting the ground due to the green clad arm wrapped around his middle. He hisses, thrashing in Guy’s hold.

“LET GO OF ME!” He struggles, trying to pry himself from the jonin’s hold. Guy beams, unaffected, and keeps the black haired boy tucked under his arm. 

“YOU ARE GROWING STRONGER AND STRONGER EVERY TIME I SEE YOU!” he declares happily, setting off at a run down the streets. 

Gerard snarls, finally going limp and no longer fighting against the hold. “Why are you even picking me up?” he demands. “Where's Kakashi? Why can't you put me down already? I'm not a kid anymore!”

“YOUR BELOVED UNCLE HAS UNDERTAKEN A YOUTHFUL MISSION, AND HAS ASSIGNED ME TO THE TASK OF RETRIEVING YOU FROM THE ACADEMY!”

He winces at the spandex clad man’s volume. “I can walk home myself!” he protests. “I'm almost ten, I can handle myself!”

Guy grinds to a halt in front of the compound, and finally sets Gerard down, staring down at him. He strikes his ‘nice guy’ pose. “Your uncle is worried for your safety!” he booms, at a lesser volume. “He does not want you walking alone!”

“It's Konoha,” he deadpans. “And the walk is ten minutes at most, if I feel like taking my time. I'll be  _ fine _ .”

“He cannot help it!”

Gerard sighs, pushing open the gate. “Whatever. I'm going in, and don't tell me Kakashi told you to  _ babysit _ me,” he snaps, glaring over his shoulder.

“HE ASSIGNED ME AS CHAPERONE!” he bellows, and Gerard facepalms.

“I'm putting itching powder in  _ all  _ of his masks for this,” he grumbles.

* * *

“I'm home,” says Nine, stepping out of a poof of smoke and shutting the door behind him.

Kitkat blinks, looking up from her sketchbook, noting his disgruntled expression. “You didn't get the groceries?”

He frowns, lifting up the paper bags and setting them on the kitchen counter. “I did, but I ended up having to run since some asshole called me out on my use of henge.”

She winces. “That sucks, I wish you didn't have to hide your appearance… The village is unfair.” Her hand clenches tightly around a pencil. “I wish you could just go out without having to worry about that stuff.”

Nine shrugs, despite the tightness of his shoulders. “I'm over it,” he says. “Life’s not fair, whatever. Why should I care about what people think about me when I don't care about them?”

“I guess… I suppose I just wish people weren't so stupid.” She gets up from the floor and proceeds to put the groceries away. “I guess they're scared, and that's fine, but treating you like trash…” Her grip tightens around the milk carton. “I hate how people act.”

“People are idiots,” he agrees, passing her by and heading for the bathroom. “I'm not inclined to care about simple extras. Anyways, I'm taking a shower first.” He disappears into the bathroom.

“Okay!” she calls after him, folding the empty bags and stashing them in a drawer. She yawns slightly, picking up her sketchbook and pencil, before flipping to a blank page and setting it down on the coffee table. Pulling out her calligraphy set, she bites at the corner of her lip. 

“Let's see…”

* * *

“Again!”

Pam’s back hit the mat, wincing as her bokken skitters across the floor. Her mother stares down at her.

“Again!” she barks. “Up, up, up, this is no time to slack!”

The nine year old sighs under her breath and snatches up her bokken, taking a stance with a look of determination. Her mother rushes forward, taking a strike, and Pam flinches, dissolving into a puddle of water, the bokken clattering to the floor.

“Pam!” her mother snaps. “Stop running away, stand and fight!”

“That could hurt me!” she protests, reforming easily. “It's a tactical move, anyways, just using our bloodlimit!”

She scowls. “A bloodlimit which is  _ secret _ ,” she hisses. “Don't you dare use that anywhere, not even at home! You don't know who could be watching.”

She stares at the ground, cheeks burning. “But why do all the other kids get to show off theirs?” she asks softly. “They always brag about their bloodline powers, but  _ I'm  _ the only one who doesn't get to.”

“It's too dangerous,” her mother scolds. “It's already suspicious that we lack surnames. Your slip up around the Hokage nearly ran us out of the village, I had to beg him to let us stay and pledge you as one of his ninja. Don't mess up again, Pam.” She takes the bokken and leaves the dojo.

Kneeling on the floor, Pam holds up her hand close to her face, letting it grow transparent and begin to drip onto the floorboards.

“I won't mess up…”

* * *

“How was it?” Runo’s father asks, as they sat at the dinner table.

Runo shrugs, picking at her food. “They were okay.”

He scrutinizes her and her carefully blank expression, and sighs. “Runo…”

She makes a noncommittal noise, and rolls her eyes. “I'm not gonna be on a team with them, is all I'm saying.”

He sighs again. “I know I've told you this a thousand times, but the tradition of the Ino-Shika-Cho—”

“—is pointless,” she interrupts, growing quiet. “They said I probably wasn't a real Nara anyways.”

“They said what?” he demands, sparing a glance at his daughter's blond hair, wincing imperceptibly. 

She shrugs. “Something about me not being your kid, or whatever.” Her voice hitches at the end, and she ducks her head.

He looks down as well, before placing a hand on her head and ruffling her hair gently, smiling as she looks up at him. “You  _ are _ my daughter,” he says softly. “My mother’s mother had blond hair, if you should know. And nobody can tell you differently, okay?”

She stays quiet for several moments. “Does this mean I don't have to be on a team with Santa and Dooza?”

He smiles, and presses a kiss to the crown of her head. “You don't have to if you don't want to.”

“... Thanks, dad.”

* * *

“One… more… time…”

Judas sighs, legs swinging over the water as they sat on the side of the dock. “That was a little bigger than the last one!” they call to their cousin with an encouraging tone.

Quin breathes heavily, and wipes the sweat off her brow, pushing up her glasses as they slid down her nose. “It's not good enough…” she says, half-whining. She whirls around, staring at her older cousin with a hopeful gaze. “Judas, do you have any tips?” she pleads.

They groan, flapping a hand at her. “Don't look at me like that! You know the rules, you have to get this yourself.”

She pouts. “I've  _ tried _ ,” she groans. “It's not working, I barely got it bigger than my torso! There's no way I'm ever gonna accepted as an adult, now…”

“You'll get there, eventually?” they attempt to reassure. “It's not the end of the world if you can't get it today.”

“Easy for you to say!” she huffs. “You got it in a day,  _ plus _ that was two years ago!”

“That's because my parents are crazy,” they deadpan. “Your parents didn't start you on chakra exercises as a toddler, and count yourself lucky.”

“Still…” She shakes her head, and slaps her cheeks. “No, I can't think like that! I have to do this.” She takes a deep breath, eyes snapping open as her hands weave the signs. She inhales, and blows out a stream of flame, forming into a smoky fireball half the height of herself. She wheezes, falling back on her back, and stares at the darkening sky. 

“Why is this so hard…” she whispers, frustrated with herself. Judas sighs, crawling over to their cousin to hover over her head and raise an eyebrow at her judgmentally. 

“You giving up already?” they challenge.

“Of course not!” she yells, sitting up quickly and slamming her forehead into Judas’ own. They both went down with a yelp of pain.

“Owwww…” Quin whimpers as Judas curls up into fetal position and groans. 

“Did you really have to sit up so quickly?!”

“I was excited to get back to work!” Quin protests. “Why is your head so hard?!”

“ _ My _ head?! What about yours?!” they accuse.

“Whatever!” she yells, getting to her feet and performing the Grand Fireball again. Judas stays facedown on the dock, turning their head to face her back as she exhales another fireball.

They groan. “Are we gonna be here all night…”

“Just until the fireball gets bigger than me!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S THE INFAMOUS DOCK SCENE REHASHED LOL


	3. 2 - we were born to break the doors down (fight until the end)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So. It's almost graduation time huh. Is this a training montage???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from the song Warrior by Kesha

"—KITKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT—"

Kitkat whirls around, just in time for her cousin to body slam her, clinging to her shoulders with an iron grip. She steadies the both of them, keeping them from toppling over, and looks down at the maniacal gleam in Nine's eyes with no small amount of apprehension.

"Yes?" she asks warily, fingers reflexively twitching for a kunai.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demands, connecting their gazes as he leaned in. She tilts her head back to get away from the intensity he's exuding.

"Tell you what?" Should she be looking out for escape routes, or is this just a benign situation of Nine being Nine, again?

He leans in closer. “_ Why didn't you tell me about Impure World Reincarnation _," he whispers intensely.

She blinks slowly, and scrunches up her face. "Why would I need to tell you...?" she prompts in a slow cadence.

"Oh, I don't know!" He throws his hands up in the air, an expression of pure fascination on his face. "Because it _ summons the dead to act as your obedient soldiers _ ?! Because those you summon are practically unstoppable, due to unlimited chakra, unlimited regeneration, and an almost unchanged level of strength from when they were alive?!" He swiftly turns and seizes her by the forearms. "Kitkat, _ tell me you know how to draw the seals for this jutsu _.”

She cringes, leaning away. "Ummm... It's a work in progress?" she offers sheepishly, internally freaking out because she hadn't even considered working on recreating that technique.

"Good!" he cheers, releasing her and clapping her on the shoulder. "Best of luck, make sure it's ready by graduation!" And with that, Nine leaves her standing in the middle of the street, dazed and with a foreboding feeling.

"How the fuck am I gonna recreate the Second Hokage's forbidden technique in five months?" she mutters under her breath.

“A forbidden technique, you say?”

Kitkat nearly jumps, whipping around to meet eyes with a grinning Judas. “It's nothing!” she hastily says. “Just speaking hypothetically!”

They lean further to the side, staring at her with an unchanging smirk. “This wouldn't happen to be that zombie jutsu, right?”

She grimaces, puffing up in indignation. “It's called the Impure World Reincarnation jutsu, for your information, and it's far beyond any simple zombie!” Realizing her mistake, she deflates slightly. “Just… reminding you not to disrespect the Second Hokage’s famed techniques by reducing them to just zombies, you know?”

“If you read between the lines of our history books,” they deadpan, “you’d realize that from me, a little disrespect to him is warranted.” They gesture at themselves. “I mean, Uchiha clan member here.”

She winces. “Okay, fair! That's sensible, I suppose.”

They sigh, straightening up and getting closer, leaning into the Uzumaki’s personal space. “Nice attempted misdirect, but I caught the tail end of that conversation. You can't head me off, Uzumaki.”

She huffs, turning away and inwardly despairing at the breach of her personal space, first by her cousin, and now by this one. “Okay, okay, fine,” she says under her breath, snatching up their wrist and pushing off the ground with a touch of chakra, Judas following suit. They land on the rooftops, hopping from roof to roof until they reach the Hokage Monument, the two settling down on the Fourth Hokage’s carved head. Judas stretches out amongst the stone hair spikes, while Kitkat tucks her knees under her chin and wraps her arms around her calves.

“So…” she trails off, humming noncommittally. 

“The zombie jutsu?” prompts Judas in a teasing tone.

“Don't call it the zombie jutsu,” she complains, a smile tugging at her lips. “Have a little respect for your Hokage.”

“Fuck Tobirama,” they reply, smirking. “But, I have to admit, the idea of the technique is pretty sick. So I'll give him a _ little _ credit. Impure World Reincarnation, then. What's up with that?”

She heaves a lengthy sigh. “You know Nine, right?”

“We're in the same class, Uzumaki,” they say, rolling their eyes behind their shades. “So, yes, I do know your cousin.”

She ignores their sass. “Well, he found out Impure World Reincarnation existed, and now he wants me to recreate it. I'm not even sure _ half _ of it is seals! How am I even gonna figure out that?”

“He's got high aspirations,” they hum. “Why don't you ask help from Senju?”

She blinks, realization gradually dawning on her face, and she broke out into a grin. “I completely forgot he could help me out! Inari, thanks Uchiha, I can't believe I didn't think of that!” She flips off the monument and starts running in the direction of the Senju compound, disappearing into the streets. 

Judas stays still, before they exhale softly. “Damn, I didn't even get to ask her about the storage seals…” They sigh again, placing their hands behind their head, eyes slipping shut. They lay like that for a while, until a shadow falls over their head, and they open their eyes.

They smirk. “Hey, Sasuke.”

* * *

"Are you sure it's okay for me to have this?" asks Pam, fingers clenched around the sheathed katana Gerard handed to her.

"It's perfectly fine!" he replies, picking up his own sword. "My uncle outgrew these a while ago, and I managed to persuade him to give them to me instead of melting them down. They're a little big, but we'll grow into them."

The pair of them head for the training ground, Pam smiling to herself with a skip in her step. 

"Aren't these super expensive?" She slides the blade out of the sheath to inspect the metal. 

"Yeah, they're chakra conductive!" He grins at the gleam of the blade, and Pam nearly drops the sword in shock.

"You have _two_ chakra conductive swords just- just lying around your house?!" she yelps, staring at the weapon with wide eyes. "What chakra nature are they attuned to?"

"First of all," says Gerard. "they're very tastefully displayed on the wall, because Kakashi and I _respect _our weapons, as they should. And, yeah, they're both lightning natured! Hopefully, your chakra nature matches, but if it doesn't, it's still a decent weapon..."

Huffing out a sigh, she frowns. "I'm not sure what mine is? Family-wise, I should probably be water, but..."

"Lineage isn't everything," he comments. "I think one of the Uchiha twins are water natured?"

"Are they really twins?" she remarks. "I didn't think they were."

Gerard shakes his head. "They're cousins, probably? But everyone tends to just call them the twins. But, the point I'm trying to get at, you know, is that you're not automatically water because your family is? If that makes sense."

"It does!" she assures. "Do you think... We could get some chakra paper? I have some ryo left over..." 

"Don't waste your money on a stack of chakra paper you'll only use one of," he says, rolling his eyes. "We can go harass Shiranui, he's got a lot of those from his last team." He takes a detour, away from the training grounds to the village sector dotted with apartment buildings.

"Shiranui?" she questions. "Who's that?"

He shrugs. "I think he was part of my uncle's ANBU team? He was a jonin sensei a bit ago, so he's bound to have at least some chakra paper."

"Oh! That makes sense." 

They climb the stairwell to the second floor, stopping at the sixth door down. Gerard raps sharply on the door, and takes a step back.

A couple moments pass until the door opens, a man with a senbon needle hanging from his lips squinting at the pair of them. His expression brightens up, and he swings the door open wider. "Little Kakashi..." he drawls, smirking as he leans against the doorframe. "You finally came to visit little old me."

A pained look crosses Gerard's face. "I forgot why I never come here," he whispers to Pam, before sighing and waving weakly. "Hi, Shiranui..."

"No honorifics?" he teases, turning his attention to Pam, whose spine goes ramrod straight at the sudden attention. "You brought a friend? Is this a house visit?"

Pam mimics Gerard's weak wave, and the black haired boys sighs. "Sorry, Shiranui-san... Do you still have any chakra papers left over? Pam doesn't know her chakra nature."

"Oho? So you're here for business, then." He presses a palm over his heart. "And here I thought you were visiting out of a want to see me."

"What's my name," deadpans Gerard.

"Kakashi Junior," Shiranui replies without missing a beat. He snickers at Gerard's attempted death glare. "Wait here, I do in fact have some chakra paper left over." He disappears inside, and Pam raises a cautious eyebrow at the Hatake, observing the way his cheek spasms before he takes a breath and calms himself.

"Shiranui-san can be... annoying."

"He seems friendly?" Pam says cautiously, cautiously skirting the subject. "I'm guessing he can be a bit... much."

"That's an understatement," he mutters.

"I got the paper," calls Shiranui from inside, coming to the door. "There was a bunch of them, so I'll just give you all of them, just in case." He drops the stack of paper squares no bigger than his hand into Gerard's outstretched palm. He winks. "Maybe sometime, you'll come visit out of just wanting to see me instead of needing something."

"Maybe," replies Gerard dubiously.

Tactfully ignoring his comment, the jonin waves them goodbye and shoos them away in a single motion. "Have fun with whatever you're doing, kids." And with that, he shuts his door.

The two exchange looks, until Gerard takes the initiative and descends the stairs, Pam following after quickly.

They arrive at the training ground, and he offers her one of the chakra papers, tucking away the rest into his thigh pouch. 

"Hopefully, you get lightning," he says. "The paper should wrinkle up once you send chakra into it."

Pam gingerly pinches a corner of the paper in each of her thumb and index finger pairs, staring at it intensely. Squeezing her eyes shut, she sends a pulse of chakra to her hands, opening up a single eye to see her result.

Gerard whistles lowly. "Lucky," he remarks.

She stares delightedly at her crinkled paper, turning to grin at him. "Gerard, Gerard, WE GET TO HAVE SWORDS THAT MAKE FREAKING LIGHTNING BOLTS!"

He laughs in agreement, as she picks up her sword and hugs it to her chest. "Yeah!" he exclaims. "We're gonna have the coolest freaking swords!" 

She slowly draws her sword, taking a stance and beckoning him with one hand. "Up for a spar?" she challenges.

He smirks, unsheathing his own sword. "Don't get too upset when you lose," he declares.

The pair exchange exuberant smiles and confident grins, before at an unheard signal, they both leap forward, blades a gleaming blur.

* * *

Dave jumps into the tree, snatching up a handful of leaves with an apologetic pat to its trunk. He throws the leaves into the air, watching as they fall to the ground until gravity brings them close enough to cast shadows on the grass. He observes a tendril of shadow darting out, connecting the shadows of the falling leaves as if it were a line connecting the dots. The majority hover, suspended in the air, captured by the shadow, save for two that drift to the ground and land unscathed.

"Damn," groans Runo, releasing the handsign and falling onto her back. "Why is this so hard?" she complains.

"You got more than last time, though," Dace notes, descending from the tree. "You're doing pretty great, Runo!"

"It's not enough," she half-whines, flopping back onto the grass and staring up at the clouds. "I can never get all of the freaking leaves in one go. What kind of exercise is this, even?"

Dave shrugs, picking up his wandering cat and plopping it on Runo's stomach. "No idea!" he replies. "It kind of seems really boring to me?"

"It's supposed to be a chakra control thing, and make my shadow jutsu more... fluid? Easier." She idly lifts the cat up and kisses its forehead. "I dunno, I wasn't entirely paying attention when it was getting explained to me."

"Complicated!" he exclaims, snapping his fingers as it dawns on him. "The shadow thing just seems really complicated when it really doesn't have to be?"

Runo gives him the stink eye. "Not every can clap their hands and grow a tree," she snaps back, before inhaling deeply, exhaling in a whoosh. "Sorry, just... really frustrated."

"It's cool!" he chirps. "You're cool, don't worry." He brushes the grass, sending out a pulse of chakra, as a twisted stem began to break free from the ground and stretch into a tiny sapling. "For all that Wood Style is really powerful, it's pretty simple?"

She groans. "Sometimes, I wish I was a Senju instead of a Nara." She turns onto her side, gathering the cat to her chest. "Everything's just so much more straightforward instead of shogi games where your opponent just predicted your next eighteen moves."

"I think it's just the thing about the Nara being super smart? Makes sense all their techniques would be really complicated."

"It's_ stupid_," she retorts, rolling onto her stomach, the cat escaping before she could crush it. Dave picks up the cat and cradles it in his arms. 

"Shadows are cool though?" he placates. 

She snorts. "Would be nice if I could actually do something with them." 

Deliberating for a moment, the blue-haired Senju hops back up into the tree, setting his cat down to relax on the branch, and picks a handful of leaves off the twigs. He stares down at her, and gives her an encouraging smile.

"Come on, Runo!" he calls. "You can do it!" He tosses the leaves into the air, and the Nara watches them drift down, still lying still.

Her fists clench, and she somersaults forward, kneeling on the ground and forming the rat seal, her shadow shooting out to dart between the shadows of the leaves. Spotting three leaves her shadow misses, her heart pounds, and she forces her shadow to split off, the smaller tendril capturing the last three of the leaves. She holds the jutsu like that for a few moments, leaves suspended inches above the ground, and releases it, falling backwards with her heart beating fast in her chest.

"You did it!" Sliding down the trunk with planted feet like he's surfing, Dave springs forward to bodily tackle his friend, Runo shrieking at the impact. He grins into her face. "You actually did it, your shadow split into two and you got all the leaves!"

She groans, back of her head knocking against the ground. "I can't believe this... Was this the point of the exercise? To learn to separate my shadow?" She stays silent for a moment. "Goddammit, why couldn't Dad just tell me that?!" 

Dave snickers. "Nara like mind games, don't they?"

"There was absolutely no point to him being cryptic and telling me to catch leaves?! What the hell!"

He sets a hand on her shoulder, nodding slowly. "You wanna know what the point of this exercise was?" He waits for her to nod, and leans forward, expression serious. "_Growth_."

"Dave, no."

* * *

Heavy breathing filters the air, as Noah retakes his stance across from a younger Hyuuga. They mirror each other, darting forward at the softly proclaimed "Begin", Byakugan activating in tandem. They engage in a precise match of attempted blows and near misses. 

Noah winces, feeling the glancing blow push foreign chakra into his body, satisfaction blooming when he sees his opponent's arm limp at his side, unusable. His opponent glares at him, made threatening by the bulging veins unique to the Byakugan, and they clash once again.

The blue haired Hyuuga hisses in pain, the tenketsu on his shoulder sealing up from one of the blows, and he retaliates with a strike to his sparring partner's thigh. Their match grows more vicious, Noah barely able to keep up with the flurry of blow from his opponent, only getting more frustrated by the second. 

They leap back from each other, Noah's left arm useless and his left leg sluggish, while his opponent still manages to continue with a completely limp arm and leg. He watches as he approaches, breathing slowing and vision sharpening even further. He ducks under the first strike, going low to sweep out his legs from under him, and hovers his chakra charged fingers above the forehead tenketsu.

"Match," calls the other clan member overseeing the match. The fighting pair deactivate their Byakugan, and Noah offers a hand up to his opponent, who ignores it completely and gets to his feet himself. As he turns to leave, the older Hyuuga calls out to him.

"Neji-"

"I'm going to train," he says, cutting him off. Noah watches him leave, and sighs. 

"I was only going to say good match..." He rubs the back of his head. "What a brat..." He turns his head towards the dojo doors, soundlessly walking over, and slides it open, a soft yelp rewarding his efforts.

"Hinata-hime!" he greets the timid Hyuuga heiress, who backs away with the mannerisms of a twitchy rabbit. "Were you watching us?" he teases.

The girl squeaks, looking door and pressing her index fingers together. "I... wan-wanted to see how N-N-Neji-nii-sama would-d fare against Noah-san..."

He reaches out with a hand, slowing down at her tiny flinch, and pats her head gently. "You don't have to use honorifics with me," he tells her softly. "We're family, aren't we?"

Her face reddens, and she backs away, shaking her head rapidly. "I, I couldn't disrespect you li-like that... My apol-l-logies, I h-h-have to g-go!" She turns and practically sprints out of sight, leaving Noah to sigh, shoulders dropping in disappointment.

"Ah... Is she really that scared of me?" He droops slightly.

"Noah-sama," calls one of the compound guards, approaching him. "Uchiha Quin is at the entrance. asking for you."

His expression brightens. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He takes off, rushing towards the entrance to the compound, skidding to a stop in front of his friend. "Quin!"

"Noah!" Uchiha Quin replies with a smile. "You ready?"

"One moment," he says, turning to the gate guard. "I'll be back by dark, could you let Hiashi-sama know?"

The gate guard nods, and Noah turns back to Quin, snatching up her hand and breaking out into a run, her laughter echoing through the streets as they dash through them. He grins back at her, and she beams in response, the two of them heading towards the Naka River. Once they reach it, they settle down on the bank, staring up at the sky as the sun gets low. 

There's silence between them, until Quin breaks it.

"It's almost been two years now," she says softly, and Noah closes his eyes. She continues, face downcast. "Shisui... died here." She sweeps an arm out, to capture the length of the river, bitter smile on her lips. "Sometimes I think we shouldn't come here anymore, but... There's beauty in sadness, isn't there?"

"Yeah..." he whispers, head tilting back. "There's beauty in everything, if you look hard enough."

She looks over to him, expression soft. "Hey, Noah?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

He exhales softly. "That's the age old question, isn't it..." He opens his eyes, gaze on the darkening of the sky. She stays quiet, waiting for him to speak.

He finally cracks. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong," he confesses. "Neji seems like he's avoiding me, or something. I think he hates me, and I don't know why."

"Has he gotten worse towards Hinata?" she prompts.

"I can never catch him at it. I know he's saying something to her, but I don't have any evidence. I don't know what's he's thinking anymore, and the only conversation I managed to draw something out of him was super cryptic? Just some weird stuff about fate and whatever." He heaves a deep sigh. "You know... Sometimes I wish our clan wasn't so divided, and that the Elders weren't so horrible. I just... the separation of Branch and Main only makes things worse." His fingers creep up to the bandages wrapped around his forehead, before he drops his hand.

"I don't understand how people can essentially enslave half of their family," she admits quietly. "Say what you will about the Uchiha, but..."

"They never stooped that low," he finishes off. "I don't know. I wish I could do something, but the way things are going... Hinata-hime isn't going to be heiress for long. And if I had to think of the worse... She might even get the seal."

Quin clenches her fists. "Branding people is never the way to go to protect bloodlimits. Especially when it's so unbalanced, the way they only slap the seal on half of the people while the other half walks around with none of the so-called_ protection_. Can't anyone see how wrong this is?"

"The Hokage isn't allowed to interfere in clan affairs, unless it's a direct threat to the village's continued existence," sighs Noah. "He can do nothing. The only way is to change it from the inside, and even then there's hardly any kind of chance for that. Any Branch members would be silenced, and any Main House members who even dared go against the system would only be made Branch members for their disobedience."

"It's an impossible situation, isn't it..." she says. 

They sit like that, in comfortable silence born from their familiarity and solace found in each other, as the sun sets and bathes the world in fire and flame.

* * *

His breath exits his mouth in a puff of white, yet Nine doesn't feel cold. He walks through the ice crusted trees, footsteps crunching in the snow with every stride, heading for the edge of the land.

He stops at the beginning of the dock, observing the miles of ice stretching in each direction, more ocean than lake. The wooden boards creak under his feet, the dock extending with every step he took, building itself to accommodate his approach. Eventually, it goes no further, and the Uzumaki settles down the edge, legs swinging over the frozen surface of the lake. He peers into the darkness, at the cage's bars which extend high into the air, at the paper pinned to the lock depicting an intricate seal.

"Hello, Kyuubi," he says to the shadows inside the cage, watching them shift and move, a rumbling sound echoing throughout the winter landscape. He smiles, a book appearing into his hands. "Today, we have a long one." He clears his throat, opening the book, the pages seeming to turn in an invisible wind. 

"With every passing wind / the autumn wind / is blowing colder, / the voices of the crickets / become ever fewer..."

As Nine continues to recite the poem, the beast inside the cage shifts, angry red-orange ears twitching towards their host. An array of nine tails sway, shifting with their movement, black lids falling over glowing red eyes. A soft rumble escapes their mouth, akin to a purr, only magnified in sound. Nine smiles to himself, poetry recitation not faltering once.

"You found a path in my dream / the mountain / is deeply in snow now..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The poem at the end is by Jakuren, and I'm not aware of a title tbh. I found the English translation here: http://www.michaelhaldane.com/TankaNonJapanese and thought it fit


	4. 3 - let me see you start a war (start a riot)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A WILD KAKASHI HAS APPEARED. Alternatively, it's graduation exam motherfuckers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is lyrics from the song One For The Money by Escape The Fate

"I'm off!" Runo calls back over her shoulder, her dad at the table grunting encouragingly and continuing his blank stare into the depths of his mug. She idly wishes she could have another cup, but, alas! This is unfortunately a day she can't miss.

The Nara exits her house at a sedate pace, passing by the clan's forest and waving at the lingering pair of deer, who lift their heads as she moves on by. Stepping through the compound gates and onto the street, she continues on, before spotting a pair of boys up ahead and sighing. 

"Already off to a horrible start..." The two glance back at her, a Yamanaka and an Akimichi, specifically the team she was slated to join, as the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Chou formation.

"Runo," mutters Santa, the Yamanaka, under his breath, looking torn between mortification and outright disdain.

"Yo, Yamanaka," she replies lazily, passing by the stationary pair without so much of a backwards glance, hoping to whatever forces powered the universe that they wouldn't press for an actual conversation.

Fortunately, it seems the Sage is smiling down at her today, since she continues on without being accosted. When she reaches the Academy, her arrival coincides with the Uzumaki cousins, and she dips her head in acknowledgement. Kitkat grants her a tiny wave, while Nine simply stares unblinkingly. She hurries inside the classroom, trying to shake off the sudden unease.

"Runo!" calls Dave, from the back in the corner opposite from the window. It seemed one of the Uchiha twins had already snagged the window seat, hogging the entire row and looking for all purposes to be asleep. The blond Nara moves over to sit beside her friend, settling down to watch the rest of the class trickle in. 

"I wonder what the tests are gonna be like..." she muses, balancing her chin in her palm, elbow propped up on the table. "Do you think they'll be difficult?"

Shrugging in response, the Senju leans forward and down, cheek pressed to the cool wood of the desk and facing her with wide eyes. "Hope not," he remarks. "I want to pass, after all."

"I think everyone wants to pass, Dave," she replies sarcastically. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't."

"True..."

The two of them watch as their classmates file in, Runo waving to Pam as she came through the door, then gesturing to the seat beside her. The Hoozuki climbs up to meet them, beaming brightly. "Hey, guys!" she whisper-shouts.

"Hi, Pam!" Dave enthusiastically greets, leaning over Runo to grin at her. "You ready?"

Pam's face flickers with a bit of worry, and she gives a wobbly smile. "There's no way I won't do my best to pass!"

"Sounds like a plan," says Runo, patting her on the back. "We'll all do fine."

"Oh, look, Hyuuga's finally here!" points out Dave gleefully, and all three of them snap their heads towards the door. 

Hyuuga Noah enters, immediately zeroing in on the largest cluster of classmates and making his way slowly towards it. As he approaches, the crowd of people slowly parts before him, until he reaches the center.

"Noah!" exclaims Uchiha Quin, looking radiant. The collection of her fans immediately sigh in adoration and a tinge of jealously at the sight of her smile, directed at her best friend.

"I wish Quin-san would smile at _me_ like that," says one of the boys, an Inuzuka from the looks of it, under his breath. Noah corrals Quin's horde of adoring fans with a sufficiently blank smile, slipping into the seat next to the row, effectively blocking all access to their idol in one fell swoop. The crowd disperses in disappointment with minimal grumbling at being thwarted.

Runo whistles lowly. "Hyuuga's as efficient as ever, huh."

"Did you see the way they immediately made him a path?" whispers Pam furiously, Dave vigorously nodding.

"It was like a blade splitting a watermelon in half," he says in admiration. 

“I can't wait until he gets fed up and wrecks her entire fanclub,” remarks Runo, watching the Hyuuga and Uchiha pair out of the corner of her eye.

“Didn't he already do that?” asks Pam.

“Oh!” Dave snaps his fingers in realization. “That one time when he obliterated that civilian kid who kept asking her out in the taijutsu matches so badly he dropped out?”

“That was so sick,” Runo breathes.

“What a loyal bodyguard,” Dave snickers.

The trio fell silent, the din of the classroom gradually getting louder, watching as Hatake Gerard slips inside and slides into the seat beside Uzumaki Nine. The chunin instructors enter shortly after, and the students rush to their seats.

“The graduation exam will now commence!” the female instructor says, gesturing for her partner teacher to begin to pass out the written tests. “You have an hour to finish every question on the paper to the best of your ability. If finished before the time limit, simply sit at your desk patiently until the hour is over.”

Runo stares down at the paper before her and sighs. “Fuck.”

* * *

“Alright, we’ll be taking your papers!” one of the instructors says, moving to collect the written exams. “The final test will be us calling you, one by one, to the backroom to demonstrate your capabilities. Whether you fail or pass, you may leave after we dismiss you.”

“Akimichi Dooza,” the other lists off, and the aforementioned student follows the two chunin into the room.

Quin sighs, falling forward to press her forehead against the desk. “Sage, I hate written tests!”

Noah hums in agreement. “Wonder how we’re supposed to ‘demonstrate our capabilities’. Do you think it’s a spar?”

“We could ask whoever already went?” suggests Quin.

“I imagine the teachers won't let that be an option.”

“That's true…” she groans. “No easy way out, huh.”

Noah laughs. "No one said becoming a genin was easy."

Kitkat leans foward to whisper at the two of them. "Yeah, I've heard the passing rate is 33% on average. The requirements are just exceedingly high, from what I can speculate."

Quin winces. "Oh, jeez. Now I'm worried..."

"Well, we'll just have to exceed their expectations, won't we?" points out Noah, in an encouraging tone. "I can't really imagine us failing."

Kitkat snorts, as the Uchiha snickers softly. "Your Hyuuga arrogance is leaking again," she sing-songs.

He cringes slightly in response. "Oh, yikes. But... it's true. I really think we'll be able to pass."

She grants him with a soft smile. “You really do believe in us, huh.”

“Of course I do,” he says quietly. “I have faith in all of us. In our efforts and hard work. I know how much we want this, and I _ do _ believe we deserve this.”

The door to the back room opens, and Akimichi Dooza stumbles out, clutching a forehead protector they barely get a glimpse of before he leaves the classroom. One of the instructors steps out.

“Akise Naoto!” she rattles off, a boy with grey hair scurrying into the room, door shutting behind him.

“Akimichi passed,” notes Quin, a bit of surprise leaking into her tone.

Noah shrugs, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. “We'll pass,” he reiterates. “There's no way we won't.”

Quin hums in agreement, and says nothing.

* * *

“Uzumaki Kitkat!” calls out the instructor. Nine lifts his head, giving his cousin a lazy thumbs up as she passes by his row and enters the room. Besides the Yamanaka boy and a civilian girl, he was the only one who hadn’t been called for the final test. Dropping his head back onto his folded arms, he slips his eyes closed and waits, mentally flitting through the possibilities of what the test could be.

Several minutes later, Kitkat bounces out, waving her newly earned forehead protector. “Good luck!” she whispers to Nine as she passes by, rushing out the door. He blinks as he gets up, heading for the room before the teacher could even call his name.

The door closes behind him.

“Please perform the three basic Academy jutsu,” drones the female instructor, having already had to deliver this spiel dozens of times. She definitely sounds ready to go home.

Nine nods, and promptly initiates the Replacement jutsu, replacing with the male instructor and back to his original spot with a rapid chain of handseals. The chunin make quiet, awed sounds, and mark something down on their clipboards. He smirks, hands flashing through signs as he creates a multitude of shadow clones, crowding inside the room, then transforms all of them and himself into either one of the instructors. He ends the brief show by tossing a kunai at each of his clones, dispersing them into smoke. As the cloud clears, he gives a short bow, having already undone his transformation.

The instructors give him a startled round of applause, both with tired, strained smiles.

“You've done well,” one of them says, as the other presents him with his forehead protector. He takes it, leaving without looking back, and idly wonder if they'll think of him fondly.

He leaves the building, glancing at his cousin through the corner of his eye before she tackles him with a grin. “You passed!” she exclaims, having already tied her Konoha headband over her forehead.

“Was there ever any doubt?” he replies airily, tapping a nail against the carved leaf in the metal. He gives her a faint smile. “Ramen?”

Kitkat cheers. “Hell yeah! You're paying, right?"

He sighs dramatically. “Well, if you insist…” He snickers at her affronted expression. “Relax, of course I'll pay! You've been covering all the other times, after all…”

She makes a face, leading him out into the streets. “Those weren't your fault,” she grumbles. “Your orphan pension just _ mysteriously _ tends to disappear, is all."

“Which is why becoming a genin is going to be great for me!” he says. “Quote un-quote _ misplaced _ mission pay isn't a thing that happens, unless a career chunin has a death wish.”

  
The two of them walk down the street, only a handful of people frequenting them. Nine tilts his head back, tuning out the malicious whispers and hushed, shocked exclamations of _ ‘they really let that monster graduate?’ _, while Kitkat levels them all with ferocious glares and mimes various violent things at them.

"I hate this village," she hisses. "What is even wrong with people?"

"Who cares?" drawls Nine. "You have to stop getting so worked up over meaningless husks of existence; they don't matter now, and they won't matter in the future."

"I can't help it," she complains. "Seeing people treat you like that just makes me freaking mad."

"Well, I'm glad to have such a loyal protector," he quips, hopping onto a stool at the counter of the ramen stand, his cousin following suit.

"I'll protect you from the big, bad civilians," replies Kitkat after ordering, voice laden with sarcasm. 

He snickers. "They're hardly a threat, even forgetting their insignificance."

She shrugs. "Fair enough."

"Anyways..." He turns to face her, arching an eyebrow. "Impure World Reincarnation?"

She cringes slightly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Uh... I'm almost done!" she hurries to say. "It's just... not finished? The Second Hokage really was a genius..." A faraway look enters her gaze. 

He sighs heavily, pouting minusculely. "Aww... I was hoping you'd have it done by now..." He sighs again, ruffling his hair. "As long as you get it done soon, though! I can't wait to drop undead summons on Nara's ass and watch her flip out."

"Your one-sided rivalry worries me," she remarks dryly. 

He clenches a fist. "She might be a little lazy, but I know she feels the same! Last time we did target practice, she hit all of them dead center and _raised an eyebrow at me!_ She was daring me to be better than her, Kitkat, I just know it."

"Yeah, no," she deadpans. "She raised an eyebrow at you because you were staring so hard at her you might as well have been drilling holes into her back. Don't even defend yourself."

He sputters. "Well, what about you and Hatake, huh? Isn't that a one-sided rivalry?"

Kitkat twitches violently, slamming a palm down on the countertop. "We have a very dedicated rivalry to one another, okay?!"

"I'm pretty sure he and Hoozuki are the ones in a very healthy rivalry."

"He just doesn't know it yet?" she counters weakly. 

He sighs, smirking smugly. "What am I gonna do with you?"

"You're no better than me, so don't you dare!"

"At least Nara acknowledges my existence! Does Hatake even know who you are?"

An aggravated shriek echoes through the streets.

* * *

“Quin.”

The Uchiha turns her head towards the door and rises from her bed, leaning through the doorway into the hall.

“Judas?” she calls, looking either which way.

“Over here.”

She hums, making her way to the dojo, sliding open the paper doors and stepping in. Judas sits with legs crossed on a mat, rolling a small scroll idly in their hand, the other gesturing to the mat across from them.

Quin adjusts her glasses and sits across from her cousin, eyeing the rising steam from the teapot’s spout. With a sigh, she pours two cups of tea, handing one to Judas.

“What is that?” she asks quietly, noting their carefully blank expression and the way they stare at the scroll they hold.

They rise their head and look her in the eye, Sharingan spiraling to life. She stares back, unflinching, as she feeds chakra to her eyes and feels her own Sharingan spin into existence. She watches the trio of tomoe blur at the speed of the rotation, until a new pattern blooms to life, Judas’ black and red Mangekyou slowing down into a lazy spiral. She closes her eyes, feeling them whirl faster and faster, and opens them slowly, staring down into her tea and seeing the flower-like pattern in her reflection.

Judas slaps a hand down onto the floorboards, ink blooming and extending under their palm, sinking into the floor and walls and ceiling, forming inscriptions that glow and fade within an instant. “Privacy seal,” they offer, at her questioning look.

“Sounds important,” she hums. “I hope you're not planning treason, we just graduated.”

They dismiss her guess with a roll of their eyes. “Missing genin level ninja are barely a blip on the radar. They won't get an entry in anyone’s Bingo Book unless they do something extraordinarily remarkable.”

“That wasn't a no,” she murmurs softly, raising her tone at her next question. “What’s this about? There's no way this is just another session of admiring each other’s Mangekyou.”

“Of course not,” they scoff, looking down at the scroll and slowly unraveling it. Quin stares at the symbols, Sharingan automatically burning them into her memory. 

“A storage scroll…?” she whispers, narrowing her eyes.

Judas swallows audibly. “You might want to put your tea down,” they warn, and she does as they say, mind running through possibilities by the second. They inhale deeply, pushing chakra into the scroll, the action emitting a tiny cloud of smoke. Quin presses a hand to her mouth, chest heaving at the sight, regretting having even activated her Sharingan. She hunches over, gasping.

“Why?” she whispers, almost accusingly, looking up at her cousin. “Why do you have…”

As if in a trance, Judas reaches out, picking up the small container with unnervingly steady hands, the pair of activated Mangekyou Sharingan bobbing in the liquid with the movement. She turns away from the sight, wishing she could burn the image of the four containers of- of _ eyes _out of her head forever.

“These are father’s,” whispers her cousin, rising the container to eye level. “I watched him bleed out on the floor. His blood dripped through the gaps and splattered across my face. He told me to take his eyes, that night. To take as many eyes as I could, to keep them safe. For the day I needed them.” 

“I'm gonna puke,” she whispers, dry heaving. 

“I took my mother’s, too,” they go on, words falling out of their mouth without pause, like they couldn't keep themselves from speaking. “And when I went to find you, I took your mother’s eyes and your father’s eyes. I sealed them away in my mouth, and when I found you and Sasuke and all the crying children, I dragged you all out and lit the compound aflame, so no one would know of my theft.”

Quin chokes on a sob, unconsciously reaching for her cousin, and they reach back, setting their father’s eyes down and pulling her in. The cousins hold onto each other like a lifeline, tears falling from Quin’s wide eyes as Judas stares blankly at the ceiling. 

“I'm sorry,” they whisper brokenly, arms wrapping around her shoulders tightly.

She breathes deeply. “Forgive yourself,” she whispers back.

She hears them inhale sharply, feels the beginning of tears drip down their face and wet her shoulder. She pulls them closer, lets them cry into her clothes, and in that moment, for the first time since that fateful night, wishes Uchiha Itachi dead. 

The tears slowly subside, until Judas pull back, eyes dry, and locks gazes with Quin with a serious countenance.

“There was a reason father told me to take the eyes,” they say softly, holding her shoulders.

“Why—” She watches in horror as their Mangekyou appears, the purpose dawning on her in that second. “No, I can't—”

“I won't let you go blind,” they interrupt, voice low. “Not when a solution exists.”

She shakes her head. “I can't use their eyes—”

“You can and you _ will _,” they insist. “You're my cousin, I can't just watch you suffer because you're too damned stubborn. Take your father’s eyes, Quin. He would want you to.”

She closes her eyes, opening them again after several moments. “Okay,” she whispers, wishing she were better at saying no. “Do it.”

They smile. “Do mine for me, after?”

“Of course,” she says, parroting their words back at them. “I won't let you go blind.”

* * *

“You're late,” says Kurenai disapprovingly. Kakashi shrugs, lazy and boneless, as he drops down from the window, under the stare of every jonin in the room and the Hokage himself.

“Maa,” he drawls, feeling his eye curve into a crescent, “a little old lady needing help carrying her bags back to her house.”

The entire throng of jonin collectively roll their eyes, only Genma brave enough to mutter, “Liar,” under his breath. He slips into the empty space in the lineup, not even twitching under the Hokage’s eye.

The Third takes a long drag from his pipe, and exhales a cloud of smoke. “Thirty-six prospective genin have graduated the Academy today,” he begins in a weary voice. “Among them are two of the last living Uzumaki, which includes the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, the last of the Senju in Konoha, and two of the oldest loyal Uchiha.” He levels them each with a heavy stare, laden with expectance. “I do not need to tell you this is the most politically charged batch of genin in years.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” the jonin intone, bowing their heads.

“Team One,” he lists off, producing a scroll from his sleeves. “Under Yamashiro Aoba. Akise Naoto, Kurama Renji, and Zagane Hotaru.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Team Two, under Shiranui Genma. Aburame Zura, Hooki Juichirou, and Kohaku Sendai.”

“Yes,Hokage-sama.”

“Team Three, under Namiashi Raidou. Hyuuga Reisei, Inuzuka Tetsurou, and Saidou Kagura.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

“Team Four, under Tatami Iwashi. Gouyuuki Akira, Kumori Hibiki, and Shimura Haise.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Team Five, under Sayaka Emiko. Kagami Minoru, Kurokawa Jinbei, and Oshiro Uzume.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama!”

“Team Six, under Sawamura Fubuki. Shizume Kaoru, Shiki Hitomi, and Tanaka Wakana.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Team Seven, under Hatake Kakashi. Senju Dave, Uchiha Judas, and Uzumaki Nine.”

Mutterings break out the moment he finishes speaking, Kakashi sighing and looking to the ceiling, uselessly wishing he heard wrong. “Yes, Hokage-sama…”

The Third clears his throat, cutting through the rising volume level with great efficiency. “Team Eight, under Yuuhi Kurenai. Hoozuki Pam, Nara Runo, and Uzumaki Kitkat.”

Kurenai smiles. “Yes, Hokage-sama.”

“Team Nine, under Might Guy. Hatake Gerard, Hyuuga Noah, and Uchiha Quin.”

Kakashi facepalms, and Guy bursts into tears.

“YOSH!” he bellows. “I WILL CARE FOR THESE CHILDREN AND ALLOW THEM TO DISCOVER THEIR YOUTH, OR I WILL DO FIVE HUNDRED LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!”

“Guy!” snaps out Hokage, the green clad jonin immediately toning his manly sobs down. He sighs, looking heavenwards as if asking for patience. Kakashi sympathizes.

“Team Ten, under Sarutobi Asuma. Akimichi Dooza, Nara Hisui, and Yamanaka Santa.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama,” drawls Asuma, taking a drag from his cigarette.

“Team Eleven, under Morino Ibiki. Aoyama Gorou, Daizou Anzu, and Yamaguchi Tooru.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Team Twelve, Tateyama Shiori. Gekkou Natsuki, Hyuuga Yuutarou, Kindaichi Eisuke.” He exhales another cloud of smoke. “You're dismissed.”

The jonin file out, until only Kakashi remains, hanging back from the crowd. He pulls out his little orange book and flips it open.

The Third levels him with a stare, shaking his head. “I won't be giving your team to anyone else,” he says. Kakashi’s fingers clench minutely around his book.

“Maa,” he starts off, falsely casual, “then I suppose they’ll have to pass next year.” He very tellingly doesn't look up to meet the Hokage’s stare.

“It's laughable that you believe that's an option, Kakashi,” he replies disapprovingly. “Need I remind you of your duty?”

“Give them to someone else, anyone else,” Kakashi says, allowing desperation to leak into his tone. “I won't take this team, Hokage-sama.”

“You will,” he commands, a note of finality in his voice. _ You have no other choice, _remains unsaid.

Kakashi snaps his book shut, and just to spite him, shunshins away, leaving a pile of leaves on the carpet.

He lands at the base of the Hokage Tower, and makes for the Memorial Stone, before he's accosted by Asuma, leaning against the spot right next to the entrance.

“Your team is _ stacked _ , Kakashi,” says Asuma, exhaling a cloud of smoke. The masked jonin turns to face him, giving him a look that practically screamed _ ‘I beg to differ.’ _

“My team is a disaster,” he snidely comments, flitting through his sparse memories of each fresh genin assigned to him. He minutely shudders at the terror that was the Senju kid, when he was charged with babysitting/bodyguard duty of the little brat. He never forgot the trauma that came from the kid not having the right colored pencils. His stomach drops as he recalls the menace of the jinchuuriki, the ‘mysterious’ fires that erupted all over the village and the mayhem that followed in the cackling orange haired boy’s wake. At the memory of his first and only encounter with Uchiha Judas, which included a Konoha Police Department cell, an abundance of latex gloves, and enough egg yolks to fill a decently sized pond, he can almost imagine his soul leaving his body.

“This is how I die, huh,” he murmurs, a dead tone to his voice.

There's a snicker behind him, and the silver haired jonin nearly groans.

“Don't be so overdramatic,” says Genma, his customary senbon between his lips. “I've seen those brats around, they're not any worse than you were at that age.”

He winces. “Don't remind me,” he mutters, whipping out his book and burying his face into it.

“You better not pull that out in front of your team,” threatens Kurenai, standing a couple feet away from Asuma. She glares at his orange book, fingers twitching towards her kunai pouch. Kakashi waves a hand at her, smirking inwardly as her glare intensifies at the action.

“Hatake never puts that down for anything,” complains Asuma. “You can't even try to take it from him, he always dodges.”

Genma eyes Kakashi, chewing on the end of his senbon thoughtfully. “Taking is one thing, but…”

Kakashi flickers away, just as Genma spits the senbon with deadly accuracy at his book. He reappears on the rooftop, and salutes the trio of ninja.

“And that's my cue to leave!” he calls, roofhopping away from the chorus of frustrated groans and incensed threats.

He drops his false gleeful expression and tucks his book away, landing in front of the Memorial Stone as the sky begins to darken.

He stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“Yo,” he says softly. “I'm back, sensei, Obito.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did I even tag this as crack


	5. 4 - to burn out forever (or light up a spark)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT'S THE TESTS OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from the song Kids in the Dark by All Time Low

"Dave. Dave. DAVE."

The blue-haired boy whines softly, rolling over onto his other side and curling up. "Go 'way..." he groans, planting his face into his mattress and shifting his head under his pillow. Pam sighs, one hand on her hip, and uses the other to yank the blanket off. Dave yowls, similar to an offended cat, and swipes in her general direction with an arm. Branches sprout from his bedpost and rocket towards her, and she rolls her eyes in response, exploding into a burst of water the moment the wood makes contact. She shapes herself out of the puddle on the floor, idly slicing up the vicious branches with a flick of water, and forms quick handsigns, sparks dancing at the fingertips of her right hand, and she gently places it on the exposed nape of his neck. 

The Senju shrieks, offended, and rolls off his bed, shoulder smacking into the floorboards. He clutches his pillow to his front and whips his head around to blink unhappily up at her, expression akin to that of a disgruntled kitten with a slightly squashed face. "Why are you in my house?" he asks, bewildered. 

She huffs. "Hokage-sama told me to wake you up today, since Asuma-san's busy preparing his test." 

He blinks slowly, realization gradually dawning on him as blood drains from his face. "Test... HOLY SAGE, IT'S TEAM ASSIGNMENTS, WHAT TIME IS IT-" He leaps to his feet and trips towards his closet, yanking out clothes and flicking a finger in Pam's direction, the floor rolling underneath her feet and leading her out of his bedroom, door slamming shut. She stares blankly at the doorknob, rocking back on her heels as she waits for him to get dressed, muffled screaming sounding through the walls.

"-THE HECK DID I PUT MY FOREHEAD PROTECTOR, I CAN'T BECOME A NINJA WITHOUT MY FRICKING NINJA HEADBAND-"

"-WHERE ARE MY STUPID SANDALS, FREAKING GOD OF SHINOBI, WHY ARE THEY IN THE WALL?!-"

"-DO WE NEED THE SHINOBI HANDBOOK?! DO I EVEN STILL _HAVE _THE SHINOBI HANDBOOK-"

"Dave!" Pam yells through the door. "You'll be fine, come on! We need to get there before the teachers!"

Dave kicks open the door and snatches her by the wrist, holding out a hand to form a hole in the wall of his house, jumping through it, and closing it behind them with a snap of his fingers. He grows a tree branch under their feet, winding it through the Senju compound and over the wall, hopping onto the roof. Pam glances back, the branch sinking back into the ground, and follows Dave's lead, roofhopping towards the Academy. He glances down at the streets, screeching to a halt, only for Pam to run into his back, reflexively bursting into water on impact. Dave falls into the street, landing softly with a breath of relief, while Pam collects back into herself midair and crosses her arms over her chest. 

"Runo!" she cheers, the Nara standing directly under her. She gives Dave a curious look, before falling forward onto one knee and forming the Rat seal, her shadow shooting out and connecting to Pam's, halting her progress a few feet above the ground. She quickly unclasps her hands and stretches out her arms in an instant, successfully catching the Hoozuki in her arms, bridal-style. Pam grins at her, lifting up her arms.

"That was awesome!" She pats her friend's shoulder and is easily set down onto her feet, before she whirls on Dave with a raised eyebrow. "You're lucky I automatically liquefy upon impact! That could've gone badly."

He grins sheepishly back. "Sorry, brain just yelled STOP the moment I saw Runo, and obviously I have no control over my body."

"You were that excited to see me?" asks Runo, amused.

"Obviously," he replies in a false haughty tone. "Walking to school together for our last day at the Academy sounds great!"

"You're right..." sighs Pam wistfully. "Today, we become real ninja."

"How nostalgic," hums Runo. "All we need is a mysterious breeze, some floating sakura blossoms, and suitably somber music as we each go through a dramatic flashback to the high points of our school days."

Dave snickers. "Are we protagonists all of a sudden?"

"We are all the protagonists of our each individual story called life," says Pam loftily.

"I don't know," shrugs Runo. "I sorta feel like an extra in my life, to be quite honest. I think my cat's the protagonist, not gonna lie."

"Aren't all cats just the protagonists?"

The trio of friends exchange grins, walking side by side.

* * *

Gerard slams his hands down on the desk and leans forward, gaze intense. "I need your help."

Kitkat slowly shuts her journal, stowing it away and cocking her head to the side, trying to contain her excited vibrating. "My help? What do you need help with, Hatake?" she asks, only a tad bit smug. She inwardly cackles in triumph, despite the feeling of her cousin's amused gaze on her back.

He apparently doesn't register the smugness, or otherwise just ignoring it. "How good are you at seals?"

She perks up. "You need sealing help? What kind?"

"Do you have ways to store elemental natured chakra in seals? Like an explosive tag, but maybe it discharges lightning?"

She hums to herself, tapping a finger to her chin. "No, but it sounds like an interesting project! Something perhaps like the chakra conductive metal..." She snaps out of her sealing daze, slipping back into her rivalry mode. "Hatake-"

"You're the best, Uzumaki!" chirps Gerard, swooping away before she could get another word out. She stares after him, words dissolving into air on her tongue, and groans, dropping her head onto her desk.

"What the hell?" she whispers incredulously. "That's _it_? That's all I get?"

"Down about your little rivalry crush not being reciprocated?" remarks a voice mockingly. Kitkat's spine goes ramrod straight and she whips around, staring up at Judas in the back row, lips pulled into a shit-eating grin.

Kitkat's expression goes flat. "I'd like to see _you_ do better," she mutters, giving them the stink eye.

"Is that a challenge?" they ask in a superior tone, before leaning forward and immediately locking eyes with Noah, the two of them engaging in a vicious stare down, Noah looking on the verge of activating his Byakugan out of pure irritation while Judas exudes a slowly rising level of smugness.

Quin dispels the impromptu contest by snapping several times in quick succession in front of her best friend's face, shooting her cousin a disapproving look. Noah gives her a wounded look, begrudgingly turning away from the Uchiha in the corner, while Judas grins unrepentantly in response to her rebuke. They turn back to Kitkat, raising an eyebrow as if daring her to disagree. She responds with an irritable expression and sticks out her tongue, turning back towards the front and ignoring their quiet snickering.

She flips open her journal and hunches over it, intense grumbling emanating from her. "Just _watch me, _I'll make the _best _sealing tags, he'll get so mad he'll just _have_ to think of me as his rival..."

* * *

Gerard yawns, leaning his chin onto his palm, glancing towards the door just as Pam, Dave, and Runo enter. His lips quirk into a smile as the Hoozuki spots him, making a beeline for the seat beside him, dragging behind her her two other friends. She plops down beside him, the other two taking the seats behind them, and offers him a wide grin.

"I can't believe we actually get our teams today!" she exclaims, leaning her elbows on the desk. "I hope we end up on the same team, Gerard!"

He closes his eyes as he suppresses a laugh. "That'd be awesome! I mean, we've been practicing our combination attacks."

She smiles. "We'd make an _amazing _team! Depends on the sensei, too, though... Hopefully we get a kenjutsu specialist!"

"Yeah..." He suddenly sighs. "I just hope we don't get my uncle... He might know a bit of kenjutsu, but his test is so hard to pass, no genin team has ever successfully become his students. He even told me he wouldn't pass me if I ever had the misfortune of being assigned to him..."  
  


She winces. "That's a little harsh... Bad luck for whoever gets his team." She sighs as well, stretching her arms above her head and leans back. "I hope my sensei's test isn't too hard... I hear failed genin go straight into the Genin Corps and are doomed to never leave..."

Gerard shudders. "I've heard the horror stories... You enter the Genin Corps and you disappear forever, never to be promoted above career genin... Forever a paper-pusher ninja!" He shivers violently. "That's the worst fate."

"I don't wanna be a paperwork ninja for the rest of my life," wails Pam, only half joking. "That's the opposite of what I wanted when I decided to become a ninja!"

Runo cuts in. "Realistically, I don't think village politics will just let you be confined to a desk, from what you told us..." She shrugs. "I overhead the instructors commenting on how 'politically charged' our year is... A lot's riding on us."

Dave groans. "If I have to hear _one more _glorified speech on my importance as the 'last of the Senju bloodline'-" He trails off as the instructors enter the room and cut through the classroom din with a call for silence. 

"Welcome to the first day of your ninja career," the female instructor begins, a tired smile on her lips. "It's been a fulfilling several years, and I can't tell you all how proud I am of each and every one of you for pulling through to reach the first step of being a Konoha village. The Will of Fire burns brightly in all of you, and I know you'll do our village proud. I'm proud I was here to witness your progression into an official genin of our beloved Konoha."

Gerard glances to the opposite corner of the room at the sound of a quiet scoff, gaze landing on the faintly disgusted expression of Judas. They meet eyes for a second, the Uchiha raising a condescending eyebrow, and Gerard turning away the moment the male instructor clears his throat and steps forward.

"As you all know, today is the day we announce the teams! If you require a refresher, teams consist of three genin and a jonin, who will act as the team's instructor to further their training until the team acquires the rank of chunin! Your jonin sensei will pick you up after lunch, so please return to the classroom after you finish eating! Perhaps, as a suggestion, you and your teammates could eat together, seeing as these are permanent teams and unable to be shuffled around." He pauses, lifting his clipboard and clearing his throat again. "And now, to announce the teams! Team One will be Akise Naoto, Kurama Renji, and Zagane Hotaru! Your jonin sensei will be Yamashiro Aoba. Team Two will be..."

* * *

"I hope we get put on the same team," whispers Noah to Quin, as the chunin instructor continues to list off the teams.

She nods furiously. "If we aren't on the same team, I might just flood the Hokage Tower," she mutters under her breath, ignorant of how Uzumaki Kitkat whips her head around and stares at her with wide, shocked eyes.

"I'll be right behind you there," sighs the Hyuuga, folding his arms on the desk and dropping his head onto them. 

"What's the point of being a ninja if I don't even get to be on the same team as my best friend?" She taps the side of her glasses, brushing a hand over her forehead protector, unused to the weight around her head. 

Noah makes a face. "Not your cousin?" he asks curiously, trying to keep the disdain out of his tone. He only marginally succeeds, as Quin shoots him an unamused look.

"I love Judas a lot," she says, "but even I know the Hokage won't put the only two Uchiha in the class on the same team. Plus, there's the problem of the right sensei. I think he'd assign someone familiar with the Sharingan to whatever teams Judas and I are on. Also, someone pretty powerful because everyone outside of the Land of Fire would _love_ to have these eyes... Have to keep us safe, you know?"

Noah groans. "Politics again, isn't it?"

She laughs, lacking any humor in the sound. "It's always politics! We're supposed to be ninja, paid mercenaries only loyal to the Daimyo, but instead, we're tangled up in politics at all times."

"Since when does mercenary work involve politics?" he mutters. "They don't belong. Toss 'em out, I'll say."

"_Exactly._"

"Team Seven will be Senju Dave, Uchiha Judas, and Uzumaki Nine! Your jonin sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

Quin looks over her shoulder at her cousin in the back, only to deflate at the sight of them simply yawning then stretching out their legs across the entirety of the bench. She scans the room, landing on Senju Dave, who only blinks sleepily and pillows his head in his arms. Curiosity slightly fading, she eyes Uzumaki Nine, with his forehead protector down over his eyes like a blindfold, and sighs as he only opens up a book and leans back.

"I have a feeling this team suits each other perfectly," she mutters, gesturing to the three. Noah snorts.

"Team Eight will be Hoozuki Pam, Nara Runo, and Uzumaki Kitkat! Your jonin sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai."

Quin observes a quiet high five across the room between Hoozuki Pam and Nara Runo, and spots Uzumaki Kitkat, glued to the journal before her. She turns back to her friend, almost vibrating in excitement. "Noah... We might actually end up on the same team!"

He grins back. "Fingers crossed?" She nods in response, and the pair of them turn their intense gazes on the instructor.

"Team Nine will be Hatake Gerard, Hyuuga Noah, and Uchiha Quin! Your jonin sensei will be Might Guy!"

Noah and Quin turn back towards each other and whisper-shout "Yes!" in unison, enacting a double high five. They glance over at Hatake Gerard, who gives them a considering look and a slight wave of acknowledgment. 

As the teacher lists off the next team, Quin stretches her arms above her head and smiles at the ceiling. 

"Somehow... this feels like how legends are made."

* * *

"Team Eight?" 

In unison, Runo, Pam, and Kitkat lift their head and turn towards the door, where a dark haired woman stood. She smiles slightly. "I'm Yuuhi Kurenai. Follow me." The trio stand and head for the door, following behind the jonin, picking up speed as they cross over the rooftops and into the trees, dropping into a training ground. She sits down, back against a tree, and gestures for them to do the same. One by one, the new genin sit down in front of her, arranging the group of four into a loose circle.

"Well," Kurenai begins, "I thought we could begin with introductions. Even though you three have known each other for your Academy days, I'm not as familiar with you. I'll start off." She meets each of their eyes and gives them a smile. "My name Yuuhi Kurenai, but you can call me Kurenai-sensei. I like takowasa and spider lilies, and I dislike natto. My dream for the future... hmm, I suppose to train the next generation of shinobi to become great, and keep Konoha safe. My hobbies...? Evening drinks, if I had to say one. My hopes for this team include allowing you all to reach your potential and become amazing ninja." She claps her hands together. "Now, it's your turn. Hmm... let's start with... you?" She gestures in Pam's direction.

The Hoozuki vibrates nervously, laying her katana across her lap. "Umm, okay! Alright, I'm Hoozuki Pam, you can call me Pam! I like animals and ice cream, I dislike having to doubt someone's trust, my dream for the future is to rid the world of evil, and my hobbies are hanging out with friends and taking care of animals in need! Oh, and my hopes for this team is that I can get more instruction for my kenjutsu!"

Kurenai chuckles lightly. "Although I'm not a kenjutsu specialist, I know a couple. Should this work out, I'll ask either of them as a favor to teach you." Pam grins, an excited gleam in her eyes. 

"You, next?" the jonin asks, gaze landing on Runo. The Nara sighs inaudibly.

"I guess..." she murmurs, huffing out another sigh. "My name is Nara Runo, you can call me Runo, I guess. I like books, sweet food, water, and relaxation, I dislike rude assholes, being watched and supervised, and myself, _heh_, and... my dream for the future is to protect those I care about. My hobbies are reading, and sitting in places I probably shouldn't be sitting in. My hopes for this team... passing the Chunin Exams, I guess..." She finishes off her introduction with a shrug, and slouches, shifting her sitting position.

Kurenai blinks, giving off a bemused air, before smiling a tad exasperatedly. "Well, entering you in this year's Chunin Exams will give you a good bit of experience, even if you don't pass." Runo shrugs again, leaning her elbows on her knees and bracing her knuckles under her chin.

Kitkat looks up before Kurenai can point at her, and snaps her journal shut. "Alright. My name is Uzumaki Kitkat, call me Kitkat. I like ramen, I dislike drama, my dream for the future is for there to be more happiness, and my hobbies are sleeping until noon, experimenting with seals, and drawing. My hopes for this team are that we can be functional and help each other out."

"How admirable," says Kurenai, sounding genuine. She stands, brushing off the front of her bandage dress, and smiles down at them. "Now that we have all been introduced... The test will begin." Her form ripples, and she dissolves in a swirl of sakura blossom petals, a sudden wind carrying the petals into the trees. 

The three genin jump to their feet, Pam with a hand on her sword hilt. They unconsciously back into each other, keeping their backs to each other and clumping into a tight circle, scanning their surroundings.

Kurenai's voice echoes from all sides of the training grounds. "I forgot to mention. Your final exam to become genin... starts now!" 

Their surroundings warp, turning monochrome as the trees begin to bleed the only bit of color in this reality. The ground shakes, breaking beneath their feet as they scream, bloodied arms reaching for them from the cracks in the earth. Pam draws her sword, only to drop it with a shriek as it grows teeth and tries to bite her hand off. She falls, plummeting into the widening ravine.

"RUNO!" she screams, reaching for the Nara who grabs her ankle and nearly falls off as well. 

"IT'S A GENJUTSU!" yells Kitkat, clinging to the upper branches of a tree as the leaves morph into razors and bombard her. "KAI!" She opens her eyes, laying flat on the ground, on her original spot she sat down on. She glances over at the other two, regaining consciousness in an instant, and they take a defensive triangle formation, backs together. Pam holds out her sword, as Runo and Kitkat brandish kunai. 

"We have to make sure she doesn't catch us in another genjutsu," mutters Runo. "Keep an eye on each other, she might target only one of us."

"How are we supposed to defeat a _jonin_, though?!" whispers Pam. "We're just fresh genin!"

"I think we just have to fight hard enough to impress her," replies Kitkat softly. "She's not expecting victory, she's just expecting us to put up a good enough fight."

The other two nod firmly, eyes darting around. "Where...?"

Kitkat's eyes widen, and she looks up quickly. "ABOVE!" she screams, kicking off and bolting. Pam and Runo snap their head skywards, just in time for Kurenai to descend on them, quickly kicking Pam away and freezing in place, Runo on one knee with her hands in the rat seal, struggling to stay connected to Kurenai's shadow as sweat beads on her face.

"Way to go, Nara!" whisper-shouts Kitkat, whipping out a knockout tag from her pouch and diving at Kurenai with it. The red-eyed jonin smirks, breaking out of Runo's shadow possession with pure willpower and tossing Kitkat, engaging Runo in a brief bout of taijutsu that leaves the blonde Nara on the ground. She jumps, just as Pam slices at her legs, the Hoozuki swiftly attacking with lightning chakra coating her blade.

"Nature transformation?" Kurenai whispers under her breath. "Genin shouldn't be able to do that!" She dodges Pam's assault again and knifehands the back of the girl's neck, only for her to dissolve into water and reform next to Runo, picking her up and racing into the woods behind Kitkat. The jonin smiles to herself, and body flickers out of sight.

"This should be far enough," says Kitkat, focusing her chakra and closing her eyes, manually expanding her chakra sense. She grits her teeth, wishing she had her cousin's sensing ability. "Who's got a plan?"

Runo raises a hand, breathing heavily. "I need all the explosive tags you have. Pam, you have to keep her occupied for as long as you can. If you can weaken her somehow, that'd be appreciated, but it's not required. Kitkat, can you help her out?"

"I can do that," replies Pam, whitened knuckles around her sword hilt. Nodding in understanding, Kitkat produces a stack of explosive tags from her thigh pouch and hands it to Runo.

"I hope this works," the Uzumaki murmurs.

Runo sighs. "Me too."

Kitkat whirls around, kunai sliding into her hands. "She's here!" The Nara nods, body flickering away just as Kurenai appears behind Kitkat, the dirty blonde substituting with a log that the jonin slams her foot into it with a kick. Kitkat's hands blur as she forms handseals, spitting a spear of lightning from her mouth at Kurenai.

"Uzumaki, too?!" she whispers, body flickering away, the lightning spear piercing the tree trunk behind her and causing it to shatter, top creaking and falling down.

Kurenai appears on a tree branch, eyes slightly widened as she stares at the wrecked tree. She substitutes with a log, which Pam's blade slices into two immediately. The Hoozuki clicks her tongue, spinning around and launching herself at Kurenai, lightning coursing down the edge of her sword with a hum. Kurenai flicks out a kunai to intercept her swing, Pam's sword slicing through the metal. Kitkat leaps above her, bringing down her leg in an axe kick on Kurenai's head, only for her to substitute with a log yet again. Kitkat silently screams in the back of her throat, both Pam and her whipping around to continue their relentless assault. 

Runo appears in the bushes, observing the way Pam and Kitkat slowly wear Kurenai down. She forms her handseals and stretches out her shadow, latching onto the jonin and leaping to her feet, dashing through the woods as Kurenai is forced copy her exact movements. She stops abruptly, the red eyed woman halting in the middle of a circle drawn in the dirt. Runo smirks, and they both form the ram seal.

"Boom," she whispers, and the ground beneath Kurenai explodes.

Slouching forward with her hands on her knees, Runo breathes heavily. Pam and Kitkat burst into the clearing, both brandishing their respective weapons, before they grind to a halt at the sight of the destruction.

Pam stares in horror, turning towards Runo. "Runo, what-"

She's interrupted by echoing, bloodcurdling screams, and the sky bleeds red, trees turning to bones and branches stabbing at them. The three of them scream as the ground grows thousands of mouths with rows upon rows of teeth.

"WHEN DID SHE PUT US IN ANOTHER GENJUTSU?!" screams Runo. 

As one, they form the tiger seal and shout, "KAI!" Their surroundings disappear, and they wake up again, backs on the ground in their original spots, Kurenai smiling above them.

"You've done well," she says, offering them a hand. The three of them get to their feet, standing side by side before her.

"From now on!" she declares, hands on her hips. "We are officially Team Eight!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHY ARE FIGHT SCENES SO HARD TO WRITE. But, yeah. Kurenai is pretty badass, stop sleeping on her.


End file.
